What to Look for When Buying a Treadmill

By this point you should have a pretty good idea of the type of treadmill you need, how much you want to spend and what you’re actually getting as you move up in price.

Now it’s time to get into the details.

We’ve reviewed hundreds of treadmills over the years, and specifications can be helpful when you’re trying to narrow down your choices. But they can also be misleading if you don’t know which numbers actually matter.

Here are some of the things we’d pay the most attention to before buying.

How much motor do you need?

You’ll typically see treadmill motors advertised in horsepower or continuous horsepower (CHP). As we discussed earlier, continuous horsepower is generally the more useful measurement because it represents the power the motor is designed to maintain rather than a short burst of peak power.

There’s no single motor size that’s right for everyone, but as a general guideline we’d look for approximately:

Walking: 2.0–2.5 CHP or higher
Walking and jogging: 2.5–3.0 CHP or higher
Regular running: 3.0 CHP or higher
Heavy running or multiple users: 3.5 CHP or higher

We wouldn’t eliminate an otherwise excellent treadmill because it misses one of these numbers by a tenth of a horsepower. They’re guidelines, not rules, and advertised horsepower alone doesn’t tell you how good a treadmill is.

The more important point is that the demands on the motor increase with your speed, body weight, workout duration and the number of people using the machine.

What size running surface do you need?

This is one spec that we’d pay very close attention to.

For walking, a 20″ × 55″ running surface is usually plenty for most people. If you’re going to be running regularly, we’d prefer something closer to 20″ × 60″, which has become fairly standard on good home running treadmills.

A 22″ × 60″ deck gives you even more room and is particularly nice for larger or taller runners, although it’s certainly not necessary for everyone. This is typically the max you’ll find on most home treadmills.

We’d be hesitant to recommend a traditional treadmill with a very narrow 16″ belt unless compact size is specifically the reason you’re buying it. That’s a very different type of treadmill than the full-size machines we’re discussing here.

Remember that your stride gets longer as you run faster, which is why deck length matters more for runners than walkers.

How much incline do you need?

For most people, 10% to 15% maximum incline is more than enough.

Even walking at a 5% or 10% incline can dramatically change the difficulty of a workout, so don’t assume you need one of the machines offering 30% or 40% incline just because the number sounds impressive.

Higher incline capability can be worthwhile if you enjoy hill workouts or want to make walking considerably more challenging. Some treadmills also offer decline, usually somewhere around -3% to -6%, which can add another dimension to your training.

For general home use, though, we’d be perfectly comfortable with a treadmill offering around 12% to 15% incline, but again, if you’re just getting 10% like on many entry level models, that should be plenty.

How much weight should a treadmill support?

Always check the manufacturer’s weight capacity, particularly if anyone using the treadmill is on the heavier side.

We don’t like buying right at the stated limit. If a treadmill has a 250 lb. maximum capacity and you weigh 245 lbs., we’d look for something more substantial.

Most quality home treadmills today support somewhere around 300 to 400 lbs., while some heavier-duty machines go beyond that.

Weight capacity can also give you some indication of how substantial the machine is, although just like horsepower, we wouldn’t judge overall quality by this one number alone.

Should you test the treadmill before you buy it?

If you have the opportunity, absolutely.

Walk and run on it at the speeds you’ll actually use. Pay attention to how stable the treadmill feels, whether the deck is comfortable and whether you have enough room to move naturally.

Try changing the speed and incline while you’re moving. The controls should be easy to reach without forcing you to break stride or go through several menus.

Look at the console from your normal workout position as well. This has become particularly important with today’s large touchscreens. Make sure you’re comfortable with the viewing angle and that you’re not constantly looking too far down while you exercise.

Some of the newer treadmills come with adjustable consoles, which can help you find the ideal angle for your work outs.

Sole F85 Treadmill With Touch Screen

Testing isn’t always possible since so many treadmills are now purchased online, but if you’re spending several thousand dollars and there’s a dealer nearby, we’d take advantage of it.

Measure your space before you buy

We’ve seen some very large treadmills over the years, and they almost always look smaller in pictures than they do once they’re sitting in your house.

Check the treadmill’s assembled dimensions before ordering and actually measure the area where you plan to put it.

Don’t forget about ceiling height. You’re standing on a deck that’s already several inches above the floor, and that height increases when you raise the incline.

You should also leave adequate space behind and around the treadmill rather than trying to squeeze it exactly into the dimensions listed by the manufacturer.

Consider the Noise

No treadmill is silent. You have the motor, moving belt and, most importantly, the sound of your feet repeatedly hitting the deck.

But some are definitely quieter than others.

This becomes more important if you’re putting the treadmill upstairs, living in an apartment, exercising early in the morning or trying to watch television while you work out.

Also keep in mind that running creates considerably more noise and vibration than walking, regardless of which treadmill you buy.

Manual vs. Motorized Treadmills

This comparison has changed quite a bit over the years.

Traditional inexpensive manual treadmills still exist, but there are now premium curved manual treadmills from companies such as Woodway and Assault Fitness that are completely different machines.

For the average person shopping for a home treadmill, we’d still recommend a motorized treadmill. You get automatic speed and incline adjustments, more workout options and a much more traditional walking or running experience.

Curved manual treadmills can be excellent training tools, particularly for athletes and interval workouts, but we’d consider them a separate category rather than a cheaper alternative to a motorized treadmill.

Folding vs. Non-Folding Treadmills

Years ago, choosing a folding treadmill often meant making some compromises in stability and overall quality.

That’s no longer necessarily the case.

Some of the best home treadmills we’ve reviewed are folding models, and there are plenty that are substantial enough for regular running.

If you’re short on space, folding is obviously a major advantage. Just remember that a 300 lb. treadmill doesn’t suddenly become small when you fold the deck. You’ll save floor space, but the machine itself is still going to take up a significant amount of room.

We also like assisted folding systems that make raising and lowering a heavy deck much easier like NordicTrack and Horizon offer.

If you have a dedicated workout room and don’t need the extra space, there’s nothing wrong with choosing a non-folding treadmill either.

Don’t get too caught up in the numbers

Specs are useful for narrowing down your choices, but after reviewing treadmills for as long as we have, we’ve learned not to buy based on a spec sheet alone.

A 3.5 CHP motor isn’t automatically better than a 3.0 CHP motor. A 400 lb. weight capacity doesn’t necessarily mean a treadmill is better built than one rated for 350 lbs. And a treadmill with 15% incline isn’t automatically a better choice than one with 12%.

Use the numbers to make sure a treadmill meets your needs. Then look at the machine as a whole.

In Part 5: Don’t Buy a Treadmill If…, we’ll cover the situations where buying a treadmill may not make sense at all.